English language teaching textbooks (or coursebooks, as they are sometimes known) play a central role in the life of a classroom and in many contexts constitute the syllabus the teacher is expected to follow. However, there is a need to extend and strengthen research in this area. Following a substantial state-of-the-art survey of research on ELT textbooks and a discussion of appropriate methods to study them, this volume contains chapters focusing on: 1. analysis of textbook content; 2. how textbooks are used in the English language classroom, and 3. textbook writers' accounts of the materials writing, design, and publishing process.

Written by an international cast of teachers and textbook writers working in the UK, the USA, Japan, Spain, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia, this volume features a balance of theory and practice and refers to both general English and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) textbooks used around the world.